Recently I bought a book about phone phreaking (Exploding the Phone). It mentioned that 331 was an internal number or something. I started to dial some 331 number to see what I could find. Can anyone tell me what the tones that play on them are?

Here are some numbers that work:

331-2222

331-1212

331-2111

331-2121

Another strange thing is that if you hum into them, when your voice hits 2600 hertz (I think it's 2600 hertz, but I just hum scales until my voice hits the right pitch.), the line just gives a dial tone.

Thanks,

3vilp4wn

Do not mistake understanding for realization, and do not mistake realization for liberation

Not all numbers starting with 331 are internal numbers. There are, in fact, legitimate phone numbers using xxx-331-xxxx format. And any "internal" numbers would be internal to that systems provider. Since you haven't given any area codes to go along with those numbers, it may be hard for anyone to specifically dial into the same circuits you are asking about (they almost certainly do not map across all area codes).

Additionally, I would find it hard to believe that humming the 2600 Hz tone into a phone these days would produce any effect (if you witnessed something, it could have been coincidence, or the result of something you are mistaken about).The 2600 Hz tone is a relic left over from the days of automated in-band management in telecom systems. The last in-band system in North America was swapped out something like 7 or 8 years ago. Everything these days is out-of-band (and digital), which would be impossible to be effected by the 2600 Hz tone (or any tone, for that matter).

The book you are reading is about exploits that were relevant in the 1950s through 1980s. Don't expect to read that and learn to phreak a modern telecom system. (That is not to say it's worthless to read).

sordidarchetype wrote:Not all numbers starting with 331 are internal numbers. There are, in fact, legitimate phone numbers using xxx-331-xxxx format. And any "internal" numbers would be internal to that systems provider. Since you haven't given any area codes to go along with those numbers, it may be hard for anyone to specifically dial into the same circuits you are asking about (they almost certainly do not map across all area codes).

True, I'll look into what area codes work with those numbers.EDIT: When I dial it with my area code, it calls a number. When I call it without an area code, it works. I dunno why. I would try dialing it without an area code, to see if it works.

sordidarchetype wrote:Additionally, I would find it hard to believe that humming the 2600 Hz tone into a phone these days would produce any effect (if you witnessed something, it could have been coincidence, or the result of something you are mistaken about).The 2600 Hz tone is a relic left over from the days of automated in-band management in telecom systems. The last in-band system in North America was swapped out something like 7 or 8 years ago. Everything these days is out-of-band (and digital), which would be impossible to be effected by the 2600 Hz tone (or any tone, for that matter).

Every single time I hum that tone in, the line gives a dial tone. I don't think that's coincidence. Yes, the same tones probably don't work, but a lot of the things they mention in the book still work today.

sordidarchetype wrote:Everything these days is out-of-band (and digital), which would be impossible to be effected by the 2600 Hz tone (or any tone, for that matter).

The book you are reading is about exploits that were relevant in the 1950s through 1980s. Don't expect to read that and learn to phreak a modern telecom system. (That is not to say it's worthless to read).

I know I affected it by humming until I hit the right tone.Yes, the book talks about old exploits, most won't work, but some of the things are still relevant today.

Do not mistake understanding for realization, and do not mistake realization for liberation